Women of Achievement

• 

  Abruzzi, Diana

  

  School attended: Toorak College, Victoria
  
  Diana Abruzzi is the Chairman and Founder of the International Women’s Federation of Commerce and Industry (IWFCI).
  
  Diana attended Toorak College and began her business career after school. She worked in a variety of businesses in insurance, transportation, mining and property development. During this time Diana travelled extensively throughout the Asia Pacific and she realised that women all over the world were struggling to start and sustain their businesses.
  
  In 1992 Diana founded the IWFCI. This organisation was formed to help women in business, to promote their roles, strengthen international relationships, and shape the economic role of women. The IWFCI operates throughout the Asia Pacific.
  
  Throughout her career Diana has managed a range of businesses and served on a number of company boards. She was a founding member of European Chamber of Commerce (1989) and a member of the Australian Focal Point to the APEC Women's Leaders Meeting for 11 years. She has spoken at business conferences around the world. Diana Abruzzi is married and has three children. She continues to champion the advancement of women in business and social enterprise.
  

• 

  Adler, Ruth

  

  School attended: Wenona School, New South Wales
  
  Dr Ruth Adler is a senior staff member in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  
  Ruth was educated at Wenona and completed a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales. She graduated with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Latin American Studies and also received a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University.
  
  Dr Adler joined the Department of Foreign Affairs as a graduate trainee in 1990. From 1991-1994 she served as the Second Secretary in the Australian Embassy, Manila. In 1998 she moved to Mexico City to be First Secretary and later Counsellor of the Australian Embassy.
  
  In Canberra, Ruth has filled numerous positions within DFAT, including Assistant Secretary, Trade and Economic Analysis Branch (2002-2003), and Assistant Secretary, Staff Development and Post Issues Branch (2003-2005).
  
  From 2006-2009 Ruth was the High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam. She worked to strengthen relationships between the two countries, including developing trade and investment links, and furthering educational, cultural, social and environmental ties.
  
  Dr Ruth Adler is married with two children. She has been the Assistant Secretary in the Environment Branch (DFAT) since 2009.
  

• 

  Andreallo, Clare

  

  School attended: Tangara School for Girls, New South Wales
  
  Clare Andreallo is a sound artist, designer and theorist.
  
  In 2004 Clare was School Captain at Tangara, she then completed her Bachelor of Arts in Media and Film Communications at the University of New South Wales. Clare furthered her studies at North Sydney TAFE, completing Certificates in Music Industry Technical Production.
  
  Clare returned to UNSW and was awarded First Class Honours for her practice based research in audio production (2009). While studying electronics at Ultimo TAFE in 2010, she began lecturing and conducting workshops in Sound Media Theory and production at UNSW. Clare also worked as an AV technician at UTS and UNSW, and as a Media Researcher.
  
  During her studies, Clare has designed and engineered sound for many independent film productions. She was the sound designer for the Tropfest 2011 finalist film Transparency, and for the film Mondo Ghillies which screened at NextWave in Melbourne (2010).
  
  In 2011 Clare Andreallo commenced her PhD in sonic arts practice at the University of Canberra on a full scholarship. Her research interests include the processes and physiology of listening, and the relationships between bodies, space and sound. Clare continues to lecture at UNSW and expand her production portfolio by contributing to various artistic projects.
  

• 

  Bail, Kathy

  

  School attended: Tintern, Victoria
  
  Kathy Bail is a journalist, editor and publisher.
  
  Kathy was educated at Tintern and completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at Melbourne University. From 1993-1997 she was the Australian Editor of Rolling Stone Magazine. In 1996 she edited the book DIY Feminism.
  
  After leaving Rolling Stone, Kathy became the Editor of another magazine, HQ (1997-1999). She then spent four years as Deputy-Editor at The Bulletin before becoming Editor (2002-2006). During this period Kathy was also the Board Director of Melbourne University Publishing. She took on the position of Editor at The Australian Financial Review (2007-2009).
  
  Currently Kathy Bail is the Chief Executive of UNSW Press, a position she has held since 2009. UNSW Press is one of Australia’s largest independent publishers. She is a member of the Management Committee of PEN in Sydney and a Contemporary Collection Benefactor of the Art Gallery of NSW.
  

• 

  Bailey, Judy ONZM

  

  School attended: Nga Tawa Diocesan School, New Zealand

   

  Judy Bailey is a former news presenter and television journalist who is often referred to as the ‘Mother of the Nation’.

   

  Judy boarded at Nga Tawa Diocesan School and later studied journalism in Wellington. After graduating she joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation as a television and radio reporter. Judy presented regional news from 1980-1987 before presenting the news bulletin alongside other reporters until 2003. In 2004 Judy became the sole news presenter for the 6pm bulletin, which she continued for two years.
  
  Since 2006 Judy has hosted significant television events such as ANZAC Day and has appeared on the Intrepid Journeys television program. In the 2009 New Year Honours day awards Judy was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to broadcasting and the community.
  
  Judy Bailey now focuses on charity work and helping children through various organisations. She has volunteered for World Vision for more than 25 years and is a patron of many groups, including: the NZ North Shore Hospice; Seasons (an organistaion supporting grieving children); the Muscular Dystrophy Association; Friends of the Women’s Refuge; and the Brainwave Trust. Judy also enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
  

• 

  Bishop, Julie

  

  School attended: St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School, South Australia
  
  Julie Bishop is the Deputy Leader of the federal Opposition and the Federal Member for Curtin.
  
  Julie attended St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School and was Head Prefect in Year 12 (1973). She studied law at Adelaide University and became a partner in a law firm at age 26. In 1983 Julie moved to Perth and practiced as a commercial litigation solicitor at Robinson Cox (now Clayton Utz). She attended Harvard Business School.
  
  After returning to Australia, Julie was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998. She is currently the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Shadow Minister for Trade. Julie Bishop is the Liberal Party’s first female Deputy Leader.

• 

  Boully, Leith

  

  School attended: The Glennie School, Queensland
  
  Leith Boully is a company director, executive coach and farmer.
  
  Leith boarded at the Glennie School and then studied Rural Science at the University of New England. Since 2005 she has been the Director of Boully Pastoral Company which incorporates dry land farming, grazing and irrigation. During this time Leith developed interests in agriculture, water and human resource development.
  
  In 2002 Leith was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists; an independent group of professionals with conservation interests. The Wentworth Group has been involved in many land and water reforms across Australia. Leigh also began serving on boards, starting with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2000-2006).
  
  Her board appointments have included: Healthy Waterways Board, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Water Quality and Coastal Development Reef Advisory Committee, Advisory Board Rosenberg Forum on International Water Policy, Community Advisory Committee to the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council, Australian Heritage Commission, and the Glennie School Council. Leith has chaired boards in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
  
  In 2008 Leith established the company @ the Crossroads, which provides leadership development, coaching and governance to organisations. She developed her coaching skills by studying at the Institute of Executive Coaching and now directs her company.
  
  Leith Boully is married with two children. She is a professional speaker and has authored numerous papers and publications. Along with her many other roles, Leigh is currently Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland. She continues to focus on engaging rural communities, environmental policy development, fostering leadership and healthy governance.
  

• 

  Chau, Wesa

  

  School attended: St Margaret’s School, Victoria
  
  Wesa Chau is a speaker, consultant and an advocate for international students.
  
  She migrated to Australia from Hong Kong at age seven and was educated at St Margaret’s School in Berwick. Wesa completed a double degree, a Bachelor of Software Engineering and Bachelor of Commerce at Melbourne University (2005). She then studied a Graduate Diploma in Law and has recently completed a Masters of Business Management.
  
  While Wesa was at university she became concerned about the many challenges that international students face. In response to this, she founded the Australian Federation of International Students and was the Honorary President for many years (2002-2010). Wesa worked as a management consultant with the Australian Healthcare Associates (2005) and was a Multicultural Network Coordinator for the Victorian Government (2006-2008).
  
  In 2008 Wesa was appointed the Direct Services Manager of Advocacy, Disability, Ethnicity and Community (ADEC), later she became the Acting Executive Director (2010). She was awarded the Young Victorian of the Year in 2010 and began her current role as the Culture Card Ambassador Coordinator. Culture Card Victoria aims to help international students to experience Melbourne culture and to feel connected to others in the Victorian community.
  
  Wesa sits on a number of Boards including, Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria; InTouch – Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence; and ThinkBefore – promoting Student Safety via social media. She also publishes opinion pieces, makes media appearances and speaks at numerous events.
  

• 

  Chut-Deng, Akeer

  

  School attended: St Ursula's College Toowoomba, Queensland
  
  Akeer Chut-Deng is a fashion model.
  
  Akeer was born in Sudan but her family left the country as refugees and settled in Toowoomba in 1993. She was educated at St Ursula’s College. At the age of 19 Akeer was approached in a Brisbane shopping mall and asked to become a model. She moved to Sydney to begin her career.
  
  In 2003 Akeer travelled overseas to work for leading designers such as Vivienne Westwood in London, New York and Paris. She returned to Australia in 2006 to raise her son. Currently, Akeer is listed with two Australian modelling agencies and she continues to work at fashion festivals both in Australia and overseas. Akeer Chut-Deng is known for her sophisticated runway style.
  

• 

  Clarke, Sarah-Jane

  

  School attended: St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School, Queensland

  
  

  Sarah-Jane Clark is the co-founder of the global fashion label sass & bide.

  
  

  Sarah-Jane graduated from St Aidan’s in 1991 and then studied Accounting at Queensland University of Technology. Sarah-Jane met Heidi Middleton in Queensland and they became friends before moving to London and selling customized jeans in a stall at the Portobello Road Market. The success of this stall led Clarke and Middleton to return to Australia and establish their business in Sydney (1999).

  
  

  sass & bide launched their first seasonal collection ‘Lady Punk’ at the annual fashion week in Sydney in 2001. Their label received amazing reviews both at the national and international levels. In 2003, sass & bide hit the New York fashion shows.

  
  

  Clarke and Middleton’s fashion label is now stocked in countries all over the world. In 2010 Sarah-Jane and Heidi were the Australian winners of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award. Recently Clarke and Middleton sold a share of their business to Melbourne department store Myer for $42.25 million.
  
  Sarah-Jane Clarke is married with three children. In 2010 she became an ambassador for the UNHCR.

• 

  Cooper, Jacqui

  

  School attended: Firbank Girls’ Grammar School, Victoria
  
  Jacqui is an Aerial Skiing World Champion.
  
  Jacqui was educated at Firbank and began aerial skiing when she was aged 16. Within three years she was representing Australia at the World Championships and won the title in 1999. She went on to win three more World Cup titles, and was selected for five Winter Olympic Teams. When Jacqui competed in Vancouver in February 2010, she became the first Australian woman to represent Australia at five Olympic Games.
  
  During her years of competition, Jacqui served on various sporting committees at the national and international levels, including: the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Board; the AOC Athlete's Commission (Deputy Chair); Ski and Snowboard Australia Board; the Australian Institute of Sport Athletes Commission; the International Ski Federation (FIS) Athletes Committee; the FIS Freestyle Athletes Committee; the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete's Committee; and the WADA education committee.
  
  Throughout Jacqui’s sporting career she sustained many injuries, including breaking her back in 2001. Despite these physical setbacks, she competed successfully in the sport for 20 years. At the end of 2010, Jacqui officially retired from aerial skiing.
  
  Jacqui Cooper now focuses on speaking engagements and educating children about healthy lifestyles and being active.

• 

  Cory, Professor Suzanne AC

  

  School attended: Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, Victoria

  
  

  Suzanne Cory is one of Australia’s most eminent molecular biologists.

  
  

  Suzanne attended Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, University High School and the University of Melbourne. She gained her PhD from the University of Cambridge and moved to the University of Geneva as a Postdoctoral Fellow. In 1971, Suzanne moved back to Melbourne for a research position at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. She spent the rest of her working career at this institution, moving from the position of Joint Head of the Molecular Biology Unit, to become Director of the institute in 1996. In the same year, Suzanne was made a Professor of medical Biology at the University of Melbourne. She remained in these positions until 2009, continuing her research into the fields of immunology and cancer.

  
  

  Suzanne has been recognised with numerous awards and honours, including an L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science (2001), and a Royal Medal from the Royal Society (2002). In 1999 she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia; in 2009 she was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur). The Victorian State Government has named a select-entry secondary college in her honour; the Suzanne Cory High School.

  
  

  In 2010 Professor Cory became the first woman to be elected president of the Australian Academy of Science, representing 400 of the nation’s best scientists. Currently, Suzanne is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow of the University of Melbourne. She is married to fellow scientist Professor Jerry Adams and they have two children.

• 

  Cowin, Dr Prue

  

  School attended: Camberwell Girls Grammar School, Victoria 
  
  Dr Prue Cowin is a Research Fellow in the Cancer Genomics Program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
  
  Prue was educated at Camberwell Girls Grammar School and credits her teachers for sparking her interest in Science. She completed a Biomedicine Science degree at Monash University and then enrolled in a Law degree. After travelling for a year, Prue decided that Science was her future and she began her PhD at the Monash Institute of Medical Research (2005). In her second year, she received the Postgraduate Student Prize for Biological Sciences from the prestigious Royal Society of Victoria.

  
  In 2007 Prue submitted her thesis which showed how certain environmental chemicals affected prostate tissue. Throughout her studies, Prue presented at local and international conferences. She has published numerous articles and received many travel grants and awards; the most prestigious being the Bulletin Bayer Smart 100 Young Achiever Award (2007). Prue was offered a postdoctoral position in America, but instead chose to take up the opportunity of working in Melbourne at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

  
  Currently, Dr Prue Cowin is part of the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, which is one of the largest ovarian cancer cohort studies in the world. This is one of two Australian projects funded through a $27 million NHMRC grant to participate in the International Cancer Genomics Consortium.
  

• 

  Dean, Carmel

  

  School attended: Penrhos College, Western Australia
  
  Carmel Dean is a Composer, Conductor and Musical Director.
  
  Carmel was educated at Penrhos College. Her love of musicals began at Penrhos when she was involved in the school production of The Boyfriend. She then studied classical piano and musical theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In 1999 she moved to Sydney to work in the 2000 Olympics music department and was mentored by Musical Director Max Lambert.
  
  In 2001 Clare won a Fullbright Scholarship and completed her Masters in Musical Theatre Writing at New York University. It was in New York that Clare met composer William Finn, she worked with him on a number of projects as a Vocal Arranger and Associate Music Director, including the production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which ran on Broadway for three years.
  
  Carmel has composed numerous pieces, including Train Ride and Butter Ball. She served as Chita Rivera's musical director for many of her national and international concert appearances. In 2009 and 2010, Carmel was the Musical Director of the Broadway musical American Idiot, based on the songs of the Grammy Award-winning band Green Day, with whom she also performed on the 2010 Grammy Awards.
  
  Recently, Carmel composed 16 songs using Edna St Vincent Millay’s poetry as lyrics. These were created for the new musical A Girl Called Vincent which premiered on October 19 at James Madison University.
  
  

• 

  Duggan, Donna

  

  School attended: Moreton Bay College, Queensland
  
  Donna Duggan is a director of the Tanzanian travel company Maasai Wanderings. Maasai Wanderings is an ethical travel company that supports the local community through the creation of jobs, schools and scholarships.
  
  Donna was educated at Moreton Bay College and then studied nursing at Queensland University of Technology. In 1995 she and a friend backpacked around Africa. This trip was the first of several visits to the region and each time Donna was drawn back to Tanzania where she received a warm welcome from the local people. She was concerned about the entrenched poverty in the region and decided to remain in the country.
  
  Initially Donna raised funds for health education, used her nursing skills and established medical clinics and immunisation programs. Donna married Nas, a Tanzanian and together they established Masaai Wanderings in 2004. Their company provides employment for locals and generates funding for many community projects, including the establishment of schools, child education sponsorships, and micro-finance schemes.
  
  In 2006 Donna was awarded the Moreton Bay College Medal. She credits her school as being influential in her motivation to help the people of Tanzania: “I was taught the ‘right’ thing to do at school at MBC. It seemed to be a focus - not only to excel in the academic and sporting fields, but to become a good person within yourself and for yourself too.”
  
  Donna and her husband have become respected figures in their community; they are well-known for their life-changing and sustainable work. Donna and Nas have a son and continue to expand their travel company and development work.
  

• 

  Eastoe, Madeleine

  

  School attended: Mercedes College, Western Australia
  
  Madeleine Eastoe is a Principal Artist of the Australian Ballet.
  
  Born in Perth, Madeleine was educated at Mercedes College and The Australian Ballet School. She joined the Australian Ballet in 1997. During her second year with the company Madeleine was an understudy, and at short notice she was asked to dance with David McAllister in Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux.
  
  Madeleine performed as a soloist and in many lead roles before becoming a Senior Artist in 2004. Two years later she was promoted to Principal Artist, after her debut as Giselle in Sydney. She has worked with renowned choreographers such as Stephen Baynes and Graeme Murphy. Her company has toured internationally; Madeleine danced to appreciative audiences in China, Singapore, Japan, Britain, New Zealand and the USA.
  
  Madeleine had the opportunity to act and dance in the film Mao’s Last Dancer. In 2009 she gave birth to a baby girl and returned to ballet shortly after. Madeleine Eastoe has been nominated for a Helpmann Award (2003) and accepted a Green Room Award in 2005, and Telstra People’s Choice Award in 2006.
  

• 

  Egan, Elizabeth

  

  School attended: Lauriston Girls’ School, Victoria
  
  Elizabeth Egan is a Chef and Restaurateur. She is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Becco in Melbourne.
  
  Elizabeth grew up on the Wantirna Estate Vineyard in the Yarra Valley and was educated at Lauriston Girls’ School and Monash University. She entered the food industry ‘by accident’, after the chef at a friend’s restaurant suddenly left. Although it was not until later, when Elizabeth was working in a Noosa restaurant that she realised her passion for cooking.
  
  From 1988-1996 Elizabeth co-owned and ran Egan Hartley Catering. In 1989 she founded Onions Restaurant in Melbourne and was the Executive Chef for seven years. Onions was awarded a Chef’s Hat in The Age Good Food Guide.
  
  In 1996 Elizabeth opened Becco, it was named the Best New Restaurant in Melbourne Weekly. Becco continues to establish itself as one of Melbourne’s top restaurants. Since 1996 it has won numerous awards; most recently a Chef’s Hat in the 2012 Age Good Food Guide.
  
  Elizabeth has two daughters and volunteers at the Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda. She was a guest judge on the 2011 television show My Kitchen Rules.
  

• 

  Ferguson, Kerry

  

  School attended: Catholic Ladies College, Victoria
  
  Dr Kerry Ferguson is a Pro Vice-Chancellor at La Trobe University.
  
  Kerry was educated at Catholic Ladies College and then studied Occupational Therapy. She completed a Masters of Education in the field of counselling and in 1998 she was awarded the Doctorate of Education.

  
  Kerry worked as an occupational therapist with psychiatric services before moving into an academic position at La Trobe University. Her experience has spanned 20 years with the Faculty of Health Science; she has been the Head of the School of Occupational Therapy, Deputy Dean, and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at La Trobe University.

  
  In 1997 Dr Ferguson was appointed to the position of Dean (Equity and Access) and in 1999 appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity and Access). In 2005 her role expanded and she was appointed to the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity and Student Services). Her portfolio includes responsibility for student services, student equity, equal opportunity including equal opportunity for women in the workplace, Indigenous education, counselling services, careers and employment services, student engagement and the University ombudsman.

  
  Kerry continues to be a Clinical Member of the Family Therapy Association and to expand her mediation experience. She is committed to the quality provision of services in the Education sector, particularly to redressing disadvantage in the higher education field and the development and expansion of student engagement.

  
  
  Much of the information for this biography was taken from Dr Kerry Ferguson’s staff profile at: www.latrobe.edu.au/change/staff/about-kerry-ferguson.html
  

• 

  Fisher, Jeanette

  

  School attended: Wilderness School, South Australia
  
  Jeanette Fisher is a Dairy Heifer Management Specialist.
  
  She was educated at the Wilderness School and studied paediatric nursing before moving into farming. In 1997 after many years working with livestock, Jeanette and her husband bought a farm and reared calves. The very high mortality rate of calves concerned Jeanette and she strived to learn more about calf rearing. In 2001 she was awarded a Rural Women’s Award Bursary and established the Professional Calf Rearers Association of Australia.
  
  Jeanette won a Churchill Fellowship in 2002. She travelled to many countries examining various methods of raising calves. This experience led her to work as a manager of the intensive grazing systems at South Australia’s Struan Research Centre. From 1997-2006 Jeanette was also a volunteer Firefighter with the Country Fire Service.
  
  After moving to Tasmania, Jeanette established a farming consulting business, Heifermax. In 2008 and 2010 she attended conferences in the USA and consulted in American dairies. She won the Tasmanian Rural Women’s Award in 2008. Jeanette Fisher continues to manage her consultancy business and teaches heifer management classes throughout Australia and overseas. She is passionate about helping farmers to adopt more current, financially sustainable and animal welfare friendly methods of calf rearing and heifer management. The majority of calf rearers are women and Jeanette is also keen to increase the skills, confidence and status of rural women through her work.
  

• 

  Goldsmith, Andrea

  

  School attended: Methodist Ladies' College, Victoria
  
  Andrea Goldsmith is a writer and novelist.
  
  Andrea was born in Melbourne and attended Methodist Ladies’ College. She originally trained as a speech pathologist but moved into full time writing. From 1987 she taught creative writing at Deakin University. Andrea’s first novel Gracious Living was published in 1989 and she has published five other novels.
  
  In 2003, Andrea’s novel The Prosperous Thief was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award.
  Her literary essays have appeared in numerous publications and has has been published in many anthologies. She is a popular performer at literary festivals. Andrea Goldsmith conducts workshops and short courses for writers of fiction, and she mentors new novelists.

  
  

  Andrea's reflection on her experience at MLC

  
  At the age of eight I decided I wanted to be a writer. Shortly afterwards, my first publication appeared in Silver and Green, the MLC school magazine. I was so excited: my efforts had been noticed and appreciated. I still feel this same excitement whenever I publish.
  
  Choosing a career in the arts, whether as musician, painter, actor or writer requires stamina – many aspire but few achieve – and passion to keep you moving, particularly during the arid times. Success in the arts also requires hard work and a belief that you can succeed in an area littered with rejections.
  
  In the MLC of the 1950s and 1960s, although a far more conservative school than it is today, there was a prevailing ethos that girls could achieve in any field they chose. We were constantly alerted to the achievements of women whether in science, the arts or areas concerned with social justice. I harboured a secret dream to write novels, my girls’ school said I could do it.
  
  My novels are described as contemporary novels of ideas with strong characterisation and narrative. My characters are diverse: male, female, old, young, heterosexual, homosexual, Jewish, Christian, believers, atheists, and drawn from a variety of races and backgrounds.
  
  The focus on people, on liberal humanist values, on diversity and social justice apparent in my work ran through my secular Jewish family and also through the culture at MLC. Unlike many other schools of the time there was an inclusive tradition at MLC. I remember such a diverse population of students in this single-sex school. Indeed, I would suggest that one notices and values diversity more when the most blatant difference of all – that which exists between the sexes – is removed from contention.
  
  MLC’s single sex environment taught me about the private space of thought and reflection – so essential to the work of a writer. Boys would have been a distraction, boys would have caused a level of self-consciousness that would have eroded the reflection and solitude so necessary to the work I do now. And if boys had been at my school I doubt I would have had the courage to pursue my love of books – it was a different age back then and girls couldn’t afford to be seen by boys as too smart.
  
  I carry with me a stockpile of books, of knowledge, of quotes (I’ll never regret having to learn vast tracts of published work by heart) from my school days. And some remarkable teachers too, strong brilliant women who were so generous with their knowledge and expertise. They mentored me as I now mentor emerging novelists.
  
  Writing novels can be a fraught business. By the time you are scrambling around in the eighth or ninth or tenth draft of your latest novel you can feel as if you are going mad. At such times I listen to music, or I sit down at the piano and play. Often the music I reach for is tattered old sheet music left over from my school days. Music restores me to myself. When I was growing up, with rare exceptions, classical music was the domain of men – whether soloists, conductors or composers. But not at MLC. MLC taught me the power of music – for girls. MLC gave me music.
  
  At school I read, I studied, I immersed myself in music, I was hopeless at games and the only reason I tried to learn how to throw a ball was because I had a crush on the sports mistress. Yet I was permitted my choices. I have not led a conventional life and I still cannot throw a ball and yet for all its mid-century rules and regulations, MLC’s single-sex environment gave me much of what I value today including the courage and determination to realise my hopes and aspirations.

• 

  Goodnow, Professor Jacqueline AC

  

  School attended: St Vincent’s College, New South Wales
  
  Jacqueline Goodnow is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Macquarie University.
  
  She was educated at St Vincent’s College in Sydney and enrolled at the University of Sydney when she was aged sixteen. Jacqueline graduated with her Psychology degree and won the University Medal (1944). After working at the university as a lecturer, she moved to America to study at Harvard University, where she completed her PhD in 1951.
  
  Jacqueline remained in the USA for the next two decades; she lectured and researched at a number of universities, and became a Professor in Psychology at George Washington University. In 1972 Jacqueline returned to Australia to work at Macquarie University. Her research interests focussed on developmental, cognitive and social psychology, with a particular emphasis on the social development of families, communities and cultures over their lifespan.
  
  During her distinguished career, Professor Goodnow has been honoured by a number of organisations in Australia and the United States. The American Psychological Association awarded her the G. Stanley Hall Award for distinguished Contributions to Developmental Psychology (1989) and included her in a list of Distinguished Women in Psychology (1992). She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, the Australian Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association, and an Honorary DSc of Macquarie University.
  
  Jacqueline became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1992. She has consulted with government bodies and been a member of many research advisory groups. Jacqueline has published eight books, contributed to many other publications, and written over sixty journal articles. She has also trained teachers for preschool centres, and returned to America for conferences and visiting appointments.
  
  Jacqueline Goodnow is married and has two children. She is currently an Adjunct Research Professor in Psychology at Macquarie University and serves on the advisory board of the Centre for Children and Young People.
  

• 

  Grattan, Michelle AO

  

  School attended: Ruyton Girls’ School, Victoria 
  
  Michelle Grattan is the Political Editor of The Age newspaper and a respected journalist.
  
  Michelle attended Ruyton Girls’ School and studied politics at the University of Melbourne. She tutored in politics at Monash University before being recruited by The Age in 1970. One year later, Michelle was sent to The Age bureau in the Canberra Press Gallery. From 1976 to 1993 she was Chief Political Correspondent.
  
  Her appointment as Editor of The Canberra Times in 1993 made her the first woman to become editor of a major Australian newspaper. Two years later Michelle returned to The Age where she became Political Editor. The Australian Financial Review employed Michele as a senior writer in 1996. She received the Graham Perkin Award as Australian Journalist of the Year in 1988.
  
  Michelle has always strived for objectivity in her long and distinguished career. In 1999 she became the Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald but again returned to The Age in 2002 as a political columnist. In 2004 Michelle was appointed Political Editor and bureau chief.
  
  Among Michelle’s achievements are a Walkley Award for Journalism (2006), and a Melbourne Press Club Quill Lifetime Achievement Award with Laurie Oakes (2008). In 2004 Michelle was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for ‘service to journalism through commentary on politics and government and analysis of Australian civic life’.
  
  Michelle Grattan has co-authored several books. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland’s School of Journalism and Communication.
  
  
  
  
  

• 

  Graves, Professor Jenny

  

  School attended: Seymour College, South Australia

  
  

  Jenny Graves is regarded as one of Australia’s most influential scientists.

  
  

  Jenny attended Seymour College (class of 1958) and then studied science at Adelaide University. In 1971 she recived a PhD from the University of California for her work on the control of DNA synthesis. Jenny lectured in genetics at La Trobe University for nearly 30 years. In 2001 she moved to be Head of the Comparitive Genomics Research Unit at the Australian National University, a position she continues today. Her current research involves investigating the organisation, function and evolution of mammalian sex chromosomes and sex determining genes. Jenny is also interested in comparative genome mapping and directs the ARC Centre of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics.

  
  

  Professor Graves has won numerous awards, including the UNESCO Prize for Women in Science (2006), and the Macfarlane Burnett Medal for Biology (2006). She is married and has two daughters.

• 

  Griffiths, Rachel

  

  School attended: Star of the Sea College, Victoria
  
  Rachel Griffiths is an award-winning Australian actor.
  
  She attended Star of the Sea College, later studying drama and dance at Victoria College. Rachel began her artistic career with a community theatre group called The Woolly Jumpers. In 1991 she created and acted in a play which was part of the International Film Festival.
  
  Rachel’s first acclaimed role came in 1994 when she acted as Rhonda in Muriel’s Wedding. The success of this film launched her career internationally and she won several awards, including an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1996 Rachel starred in three films: Cosi and Children of the Revolution which were set in Australia, and the British film Jude.
  
  Since 1997 Rachel has acted in numerous films and been nominated for many industry awards. She wrote and directed the short film Tulip which won several awards in three different countries. In 2001 Rachel moved to America for the role of Brenda in the television series Six Feet Under. She played this part for six years and won AFI, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors’ Guild awards.
  
  Rachel is perhaps best known for her recent role as Sarah in the American television series Brothers and Sisters, for which she was again nominated and awarded prestigious honours. Throughout her career, Rachel has continued to act in theatre productions, including Melbourne Theatre Company plays.
  
  In the last decade Rachel has strengthened her film acting career internationally. The variety of roles and her character portrayals have been seen in films such as Blow, Ned Kelly, Beautiful Kate and The Burning Man. Currently she is performing in a Broadway production of Other Desert Cities. Rachel Griffiths is married and has three children.
  

• 

  Hamlin, Dr Catherine AC

  

  School attended: Frensham, New South Wales

   

  As a Resident at Crown Street Women’s Hospital Catherine Nicholson met and married Dr Reginald Hamlin, the medical superintendent. After working as obstetricians in the UK, Hong Kong and New Zealand, the Hamlins answered an advertisement in the Lancet which read: "Gynaecologist wanted to set up school of midwifery for nurses in the Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa".
  
  In May 1959 the Hamlins began work in Addis Ababa, and overcome with the desperate needs of the country, they decided to stay on when their contracts expired. Catherine Hamlin was moved by the profound need of women suffering from fistulae. This injury, the result of long and difficult labours, is particularly prevalent in young women. A fistula is a hole which develops with the long labour these women endure, between the bladder and the vagina and often between the rectum and vagina as well. The plight of these women was pitiable. Leaking urine or faeces, the women were ostracised by their families and often deserted by their husbands. An operation can usually repair the damage. The Hamlins did what they could to help these women.
  
  Finally in 1975 the Hamlins were able to open a hospital dedicated solely to the treatment of fistulae. The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has since become a major teaching hospital for surgeons from across Ethiopia and the developing world. The work of the hospital has been recorded in Catherine’s book, co-authored by John Little, "The Hospital by the River". The hospital has now done over 30,000 fistula operations.
  
  Catherine Hamlin has continued her work at the hospital after the death of her husband in 1993 . Her contribution has been recognised by the award of an Companion of the Order of Australia and by the conferring of the degree of Doctor of Medicine (Honoris Causa) by Sydney University in 2005. She has one son and is pictured above with her grandaughter.

  
  Catherine's reflection on her experience at Frensham:

   

  To have been a pupil at Frensham was indeed an enormous privilege, and I look back on the years I spent there as happy ones, and of great value in shaping my ideas, ambition, and later my desire to be of some use to others less fortunate.  This latter desire crystallized in my final school year to become a wish to study medicine and to become a doctor! But this, I believe was party due to a spiritual experience not only at Frensham, but from my home as well, where I was brought up in a strong Christian environment.
  
  The very motto of Fresham "In love serve one another", was I know, perhaps subconsciously an influence on me, and on many of the pupils.  Also being at school during the start and early days of the 2nd World War, influenced my decision, as many of us in our class would talk about how we could help when we left school, and this certainly strengthened my determination to study medicine.
  
  I think the ethics of Frensham played a part in the lives of pupils, my self included!  With teachers and certainly the Headmistress - Miss West for my first few years, and then Miss Bryant, being a huge influence in the lives of all the girls.  We admired and respected them, as well as feared their displeasure and mostly tried to live up to the standards they set us and expected from us!.
  
  I think being all girls at a boarding school built up our friendships and relationships with each other, especially those in our own class, and "house".
  I look back at my school days as days which helped to direct my path, and much that I, with God's help, have been able to accomplish has been enriched and indeed made possible by the type of education I was privileged to have at Frensham.  An education that not only enriched my mind, but taught me much else besides!  and has helped me enormously in so many ways and in the varied situations of my life here in Ethiopia, and in other countries, as I seek to make the plight of our poor patients known in my fund - raising trips to the wealthy countries of the world..
  
  I salute my old school with gratitude and with much love.

• 

  Horacek, Judy

  

  School attended: Siena College, Victoria
  
  Judy Horacek is a cartoonist, writer, illustrator and artist.
  
  She was educated at Siena College and then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University. In 2007 she completed a second Bachelor of Arts in Printmedia and Drawing from Australian National University.
  
  Judy has been drawing cartoons for over two decades. Initially she joined a writing group in Melbourne but decided to focus on her drawings. Her first illustrations and cartoons were drawn for community group publications but as her work became recognised, she was published in major Australian newspapers, journals and magazines. In 1992 she published her first book of cartoons Life on the Edge.
  
  Judy’s first commissioned work was for The Age newspaper; it was published on International Women’s Day (1995). She moved into book illustration, and in 2005 she won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for illustrating Mem Fox’s Where is the Green Sheep.
  
  Since 2007 Judy has been writing and illustrating her own books. She has held several exhibitions. In 2005 the National Library of Australia acquired a selection of her work. Thousands of Judy’s cartoons have been published all over the world, and seven collections of her cartoons are published in book form. Judy Horacek’s cartoons cover a range of social and political topics, from feminism to the environment.
  

• 

  Knight, Jo

  

  School attended: Strathcona Baptist Girls’ Grammar School, Victoria
  
  Jo Knight is a migration lawyer and the Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence Ecumenical Migration Centre.
  
  Jo was educated at Strathcona and later studied Arts and Law degrees at Monash University. Her interest in human rights and international law was fostered through an exchange program to Leiden University in the Netherlands (2000). Jo also participated in a development exposure course to India with Tear Australia. In 2002 she completed an Arts Honours thesis which explored poverty in India. A year later, Jo graduated with honours in both degrees.
  
  While a student, Jo began working at Erskine Rodan & Associates; a leading Immigration law firm. She completed Articles with this firm and worked there for 8 years. Jo was a founding member of the Oaktree Foundation (2003) and became President and Chair of the Board. The Oaktree foundation is a movement of young Australians who desire to make the world a better place and alleviate poverty. In 2008 she was one of 20 women selected worldwide to participate in the Women’s Forum Rising Talents Program.
  
  Jo was a Section Chair in the Administrative Law and Human Rights Section at the Law Institute of Victoria. She and her husband are active members at St Hilary’s Church in Kew, and members of the Anglican Synod. At the Ecumenical Migration Centre, Jo directs a team of people who deliver social-inclusion services to refugees and migrants.
  

• 

  Le, Tan

  

  School attended: Mac Robertson Girls’ High School, Victoria
  
  Tan Le is a technology entrepreneur and founder of the bioinformatics company Emotiv Lifesciences.
  
  Tan was born in Vietnam and migrated as a refugee to Australia in 1981 with her family. She was educated at Mac Robertson Girls’ High School and began studying at Monash University when she was 16 years old. While Tan was a student she began helping other Vietnamese people in Melbourne; she became President of the Vietnamese Community of Footscray Association.
  
  In 1998 Tan was named the Young Australian of the Year, and voted one of Australia’s Most Successful Women Under 30. She completed a combined Bachelor of Commerce/Law with Honours (1998) and worked as a solicitor at Freehills (1999-2000). During this period Tan was a member of the Australian Citizenship Council which advised the Minister of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1999-2001).
  
  Since 2001 Tan has been an Ambassador for the Status of Women. She has also been an ambassador for a number of other groups and served on many boards, including Plan International Australia (2003-2006).
  
  Tan co-founded a wireless technology company SASme International (2000). After SASme merged in 2003, she co-founded the Emotiv neuro-engineering company. In 2011 she founded Emtoiv Lifesciences, a bioinformatics company based in California that advances understanding of the human brain. It is hoped that this company will be able to identify biomarkers for neurological conditions such as autism and epilepsy.
  
  Throughout her life, Tan has been honoured with numerous awards including: Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (2009), AutoVision Innovations Award (2011), and Monash University Distinguished Alumni Award (2011). Tan Le is a professional speaker and the current CEO of Emotiv Lifesciences.
  

• 

  Lloyd-Green, Dr Lorna OBE CBE (1910-2002)

  

  School attended: Lowther Hall Church of England Girls' Grammar School, Victoria
  
  Lorna Lloyd-Green was a pioneering woman in Australian medicine. Equal pay for equal work by female medicos was achieved largely through her work with the Australian Medical Association.
  
  After graduating in 1933, Lorna became one of the first female obstetricians and gynaecologists in Melbourne.
  
  In 1939 she was appointed Medical Superintendent at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital. She later became Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist and Dean of the Clinical School.
  
  Lorna was a foundation student (1920) at Lowther Hall Church of England Girls' Grammar School, Essendon. She was a caring and committed student who excelled in academics, sport and music. In 1927, her matriculation year, she was Captain of Clarke House, Captain of the School and Dux of the School.
  
  In her senior years at Lowther Hall, Lorna was renowned for rallying her friends and teachers to take part in charitable works. She developed links with the Arms of Jesus Babies Home in East Melbourne and along with her fellow prefects, became a godparent to two orphaned children.
  
  Lorna wrote this reflection in The Chronicle, Lowther Hall's year book, in 1927: 'For many of us it is drawing near the end of our school days - happy days printed indelibly on our memory. As we gaze down the vista of years we wonder can the world, of which we must so soon be a part, recompense us for this loss? At least we can help to make the world a better place by keeping true to our motto; and what better incentive could we have than the thought that : "Our lives may be one of God's thoughts. A thread in the robe he is weaving".'
  
  From school days, one of the most important dimensions of Lorna's life was her Christian faith, which informed and influenced everything that she did. As an ardent ecumenist she played a significant role in the ecumenical movement among Toorak churches.
  
  Fuelled by her perception of a lack of concern for childless couples she founded the Infertility Clinic at the Queen Victoria Hospital. This ran for twenty five years before becoming the IVF Clinic at Monash. A strong advocate of breastfeeding, Lorna was the first medical advisor to the Nursing Mothers' Association, now the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
  
  She was the first woman fellow of the Australian Medical Association and foundation fellow of the Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She was a senior member and president of the Australian Federation of Medical Women and President of the Medical Women's International Association.
  
  Another of Lorna's passions was music. She had been a talented pianist from childhood and when she decided that she would no longer practice obstetrics and gynaecology, she studied music therapy and became involved with the Australian Music Therapy Association. She spent a decade playing twice weekly for palliative care patients at Bethlehem Hospital and Lovell House and was delighted when St Hilda's College at the University of Melbourne established annual music scholarships in her name.
  
  Lorna Lloyd-Green's work and dedication were highly recognised in the community. She was awarded an OBE in 1968 and a CBE in 1979. In 2000 she received a Commonwealth Recognition Award for Senior Australians and in 2001 on the Centenary of Federation, she was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of "Women Shaping the Nation".
  
  Dr Lorna Lloyd-Green helped set the agenda for female doctors of the future. For half a century she delivered thousands of babies and dealt with the obstetric and gynaecologic health of thousands of women.

• 

  Lovett, Virginia

  

  School attended: Mentone Girls’ Secondary College, Victoria 
  
  Virginia Lovett is the General Manager of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
  
  She was educated at Mentone Girls’ Secondary College before completing degrees at RMIT and The Melbourne Business School. Virginia began her career working as the Media Officer for the Victorian Education Minister from 1988-1991, and then moved into publicity and marketing roles for many companies. Virginia spent seven years at the Sydney Festival as Marketing and Communications Manager. She has many years of experience as Publicity Manager for the Sydney Theatre Company, Art Gallery of NSW, Powerhouse Museum, and the National Gallery of Victoria. She was also an advisor to the NSW Carr government.
  
  In 2006 Virginia was awarded a Churchill Fellowship. She took on the role of General Manager of Corporate Communications at Zoos Victoria (2007-2008) before commencing in her current position. Virginia has over 20 years experience in the arts and entertainment industry. She has served on many boards and is currently Deputy Chair of Force Majeure, and a board member for Arena Theatre.
  

• 

  Matson, Dr Tammie

  

  School attended: St Patrick’s College, Queensland
  
  Dr Tammie Matson is a zoologist and an animal conservationist.
  
  Tammie grew up in Townsville and attended St Patrick’s College. At the age of 15 she visited Zimbabwe with her father and developed a passion for African animals. She enrolled in Environmental Science at the University of Queensland and studied the behaviour of impalas in Zimbabwe for her Honours project. Whilst completing her PhD on the same topic, Tammie was forced to leave Zimbabwe due to political instability.
  
  In 2000 Tammie moved to Namibia and became an environmental consultant for an ecotourism business. She continued to work on animal conservation projects with black rhino and black-faced impala. Tammie’s focus shifted to the protection of elephants during 2005; she worked to reduce human-elephant conflict in Bushmanland, Namibia.
  
  Tammie returned to Australia in 2007 and joined the World Wildlife Fund as leader of the national threatened species program. This role led her to India, where she fostered relationships with local people to reduce the number of elephant deaths. In 2009 she co-founded the association Animal Works, which aims to conserve wildlife around the world. Tammie has also successfully published two non-fictions books about her conservation work with elephants.
  
  Dr Tammie Matson was honoured in 2010 when she won In Style magazine’s Women of Style award for her work as an environmentalist. She is married and has a son. Currently Tammie is the Director of Animal Works, she also teaches conservation communication at Taronga Zoo and Macquarie University. Tammie continues her animal conservation role in many different countries and speaks about her work to international audiences.
  

• 

  McKew, Maxine

  

  School attended: All Hallows' School, Queensland 

  
  A TV and print journalist for 30 years, Maxine was the Member for Bennelong, famously defeating John Howard, the former Prime Minister at the 2007 election. She served Parliament for a term, before losing her seat in the 2010 election. Maxine is currently pursuing other avenues of paid and voluntary work.
  
  Maxine's reflection on her experience at All Hallows' School

  
  I attended All Hallows' Convent in Brisbane throughout the 1960's, matriculating in 1970.This was also the alma mater of my mother Mary - she completed Year 12 in 1940 at a time when very few Queenslanders finished 12 years of schooling, let alone many girls.Run by the Sisters of Mercy, it is one of Brisbane's oldest institutions, started in 1861 by Ellen Whitty, one of the pioneering educationists (in the mould of Ursula Frayne, Mary MacKillop and others who battled bishops etc) of the 19th century. Women who should be celebrated and honoured in my view. They founded schools and hospitals which survive to this day. They are among our great nation builders, is how I see it. It was all driven by the Mercy ethic. As Catherine McCauley always said, "Nothing is more conducive to the good of society than the education of women."
  
  As I have always said, I was taught by women who seemed to know what was worth knowing. The best of them set the imagination racing. My speech and drama teacher, Sr Mary St Vincent, literally gave me my voice. If I have any confidence about what I am doing this year, it goes right back to her speech room where I had to stand and deliver every day. She taught me control of my voice, about presentation and tried to give me a certain poise.
  
  It was an interesting period when I was at school. I bridged the pre and post Vatican period so this was a time of intense argument about the role of the Church and in particular how religious orders should organise their activities.Complementing the teaching by religious women was a small band of lay staff - superbly educated women who in a History or English lesson could take you way beyond the parochial confines of Brisbane of the 1960's. I am still in touch with some of these women.
  
  If you are well taught you never forget it. I certainly appreciated, in retrospect, the space my education gave me to test myself in a supportive environment. The company of women is a fine thing and one of the great joys of my life.

• 

  McKinnon, Marguerite

  

  School attended: Stella Maris College, NSW
  
  Marguerite McKinnon is a journalist and television reporter.
  
  Marguerite attended Stella Maris College in Manley where she was School Captain. She later completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at Charles Sturt University. Initially Marguerite worked at ABC Radio in the Central West region but she moved to Sydney to become the Assistant Chief of Staff with the Ten News Network.
  
  In 1994 Marguerite became a snow reporter at the Thredbo Ski Resort. She then worked at a series of radio stations before joining WIN Television News (1997). Marguerite specialised as a political journalist, becoming the Canberra political reporter for WIN. From 2002 - 2007, she worked at the Parliamentary Bureau in Canberra for radio station 2UE.
  
  Marguerite joined the Seven Television Network in 2007, reporting for the news in Sydney and then Today Tonight. She returned to the WIN network in 2009, taking a position as Senior Reporter and later, as Australian correspondent for Channel News Asia. Marguerite also wrote columns for Nett Magazine and acted as a media consultant. She is well known for her honest and fair reporting style.
  
  In 2007 Marguerite McKinnon was awarded a Group Bravery Decoration after helping to rescue two men trapped in a burning car. She is married and has two children.
  

• 

  Milne, Christine

  

  School attended: St Mary's College, Tasmania
  
  Christine Milne is the Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens.
  
  Christine grew up in Tasmania and studied History at the University of Tasmania. She taught in high schools and became an environmental activist, beginning with the Franklin River campaign. Christine led the successful campaign to protect Tasmania’s farm lands from the impacts of the proposed Wesley Vale Pulp Mill in the late 1980s.

  
  Christine represented the electorate of Lyons in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1989 to 1998. In 1993 she became the first woman to lead a political party in Tasmania and led the Tasmanian Greens for five years. In 2004, Christine Milne was elected to the Senate.

  
  Senator Milne is also a United Nations Global 500 Laureate and was a Vice-President of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) from 2005-08. She has two children.
  

   

  Christine's reflection on her experience at St Mary's College

   

  As a little girl growing up in the 1950s on a modest family dairy farm in north-west Tasmania, I attended the Wesley Vale Area School. For five years, I was in combined grades classes with children from farming and fishing families. Seven of us, from all those in my year group, four girls and three boys had similar ability and competed every week for the top marks in the weekly tests for mental arithmetic and spelling. At age ten, two of us were sent to all girls’ boarding schools in the city. The others went to the newly built Latrobe High School.
  
  Of the seven, one boy left school in Grade 10, completed a trade and became a farmer, and one of the girls left school, found a job and married to settle into family life. The rest of us went on to university where we all met up again. So I cannot say that an all girls’ school resulted in a better academic outcome than would otherwise have been the case. But what I can say is that it shaped the values and the drive I developed to make the world a better place. It gave me the confidence and skills to lead and sidelined gender as an excuse not to do so.
  
  St Mary’s College in Hobart in 1964 was a Presentation Sisters’ school run by strong, independent women. Nuns not only ran and taught in the school from the Principal down, but also cooked, cleaned, did the books and oversaw the boarding school. There was a strong ethos of personal responsibility and a commitment to social justice. Not only could girls do anything, they had a responsibility to do so. Anything less was letting parents, school and God down. The idea that gender might be an impediment to leadership or achievement was not tolerated.
  
  We were inculcated with the view that we should have the courage of our convictions and stand up for what we believed in. By their own example, the nuns challenged us vain teenage girls with the idea that happiness and fulfilment would come from serving others and not ourselves.
  
  Schools give you many things. An academic education is important but of itself, it will not develop a social conscience or produce leaders. You have to be nurtured, challenged, encouraged and empowered to act. This too can come from co-educational schools but what an all girls’ school gave me, that no co-educational school could, was all of those things plus the knowledge, born of day to day lived experience, that women are independent, equal citizens of the world, capable of running it, with no need to wait for or defer to any male in getting started.

• 

  Morrison, Dr Zoe

  

  School attended: Walford Anglican School for Girls, South Australia
  
  Zoe Morrison attended Walford Anglican School for Girls and was School Vice-Captain in her final year. She received the Fletcher prize for Leadership, and the Headmistress' Prize for unstinting service given to the school.
  
  At the end of 1998 Zoe completed her Honours degree in Geography. She was awarded a number of university prizes during her tertiary studies. During this period, she continued her piano studies at the Conservatorium and completed her Licentiate Diploma.
  
  Zoe was selected as a Rhodes Scholar in 1998. The selection criteria for this prestigious scholarship include proven intellectual and academic quality of a high standard, integrity of character, the ability to lead and the energy to use one's talents to the full. She studied for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Geography at Oxford University.
  
  Her career has involved addressing the intersection of cultural and economic aspects of social exclusion and injustice at conceptual, policy and practical levels. Zoe worked at the Victorian Law Reform Commission to recommend changes to the laws on family violence in Victoria, and for Monash University on research about how Universities can best support top female researchers.
  
  Prior to her current position, Zoe was the Co-ordinator of the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, and sat on the Statewide Steering Committee to Reduce Sexual Assault and the National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and their Children. She is the author of The Morrison Report, an independent investigation into the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide’s response to child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault, as well as several academic papers, reports and other writing.
  
  Dr Zoe Morrison is a Senior Research Fellow at Melbourne University and a Senior Manager in the Research and Policy Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, a national NGO ‘working for an Australia free of poverty’. She also writes opinion pieces for The Age newspaper. Zoe has one child.
  
  Zoe's reflection on her experience at Walford
  
  It was a privilege to have attended Walford. My life as a student there was so rich: music, drama, debating, social service, sport, as well as academic studies. Looking back, it seems to me that Walford can teach you not only how to think, and how best to present those thoughts, but how to live, in the fullest and most socially responsible way.
  
  

• 

  Napier, Robyn

  

  School attended: TARA Anglican School for Girls, New South Wales
  
  Dr Robyn Napier is the Director and Medical Secretary of the Australian Medical Association (NSW).
  
  Robyn was educated at TARA Anglican School for Girls and studied medicine at Sydney University. She has been a medical practitioner in Sydney since 1980 and works as a general practice medical educator.
  
  During her career, Robyn has served on numerous medical boards. She chairs the AMA (NSW) Council of General Practice and provides the secretariat for the Ethics Committee. Dr Napier is also on the Council of MDA National, is a member of the NSW State Medical Board of the National Medical Board, the NSW Medical Council and on the BEACH Research Advisory Board (University of Sydney). Robyn is on the Medicines Australia Monitoring Committee, Area of Need Advisory Committee (NSW) and is a Deputy Director of Professional Services Review. She has two adult children.
  

• 

  Noone, Sr Margaret AM IBVM

  

  School attended: Loreto Kirribilli, New South Wales 
  
  Sister Margaret Noone is the co-founder of Very Special Kids, a hospice, counselling and support service for families caring for a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
  
  Margaret was educated at Loreto Kirribilli and then studied teaching. She later attended the School of Applied Theology at the University of California. Margaret is a member of the Loreto Order of Religious Sisters and has devoted her life to educating others and supporting those in need.
  
  In 1985, she helped establish Very Special Kids with a small group of Melbourne families who had experienced the death of a child. Margaret was the first employee and Director. She undertook volunteer training in the USA at the Centre for Attitudinal Healing in 1995.
  
  Margaret was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1989, which she used for a three-month study tour researching respite and hospice care for children in the USA, UK and Canada. She has spoken at a number of international conferences. In 2000, Sister Margaret was awarded an Order of Australia for her service to children and their families.
  
  Since her retirement in 2002, Margaret Noone has been the patron of Very Special Kids and continues to raise awareness and funds for the organisation.
  

• 

  O'Keeffee, Annmaree AM

  

  School attended: Stuartholme School, Queensland
  
  Annmaree O’Keeffe has worked in international relations and development for the past three decades.
  
  She was educated at Stuartholme in Brisbane and studied journalism at the University of Queensland. Annmaree worked on newspapers in Australia, Africa and the UK. She became the editor at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bangkok and later, in Geneva. Annmaree was awarded her Masters in Asian Studies from Griffith University.
  
  From 1994-1996 she was the Australian Ambassador to Nepal. Annmaree began working for AusAID and served as Minister-Counsellor for Development Assistance in Papua New Guinea (1997-1999). In 1999, she became the Assistant Director-General in the South Pacific
  
  The Australian Government appointed Annmaree as the country’s first ever Special Representative for HIV/AIDS in 2004. The same year, she became Deputy Director General of Policy and Global Programs at AusAID. Annmaree was also the inaugural Australian Ambassador for HIV/AIDS (2006-2007). In 2007 she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to international relations, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS policy and program development.
  
  Annmaree has two children. She is a founding board member of the Asia Pacific Business Coalition for AIDS, and is on the coordinating committee of the Pacific Friends of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. She is also an Associate at the Development Policy Centre, Australia National University.
  
  After 25 years at AusAID, Annmaree left to become a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute. She also currently works in Canada as a strategic adviser to the Inuit Circumpolar Council on international issues affecting indigenous peoples.
  

• 

  Olley, Margaret AC (1923-2011)

  

  School attended: Somerville House, Queensland
  
  Margaret Olley was one of Australia’s most loved painters whose career spanned more than six decades.
  
  She was educated at Somerville House (1937-1940), where her passion for painting was encouraged by an influential art teacher, Caroline Barker. Margaret continued to study art at East Sydney Technical College and in 1947 she won the Mosman Art Prize. She held her first solo show in 1948 at the Macquarie Galleries. In the same year, William Dobell painted a portrait of Margaret which won the Archibald Prize.
  
  Margaret travelled overseas in 1949 to pursue her art; she studied at the prestigious Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris. Although she returned to Australia in 1953, travel was an important part of her artistic inspiration. She was the subject of more than 90 solo exhibitions.
  
  In the 1980s Margaret established an Art Trust and donated millions of dollars of artwork to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In 1997 the gallery exhibited a major retrospective of her work. Margaret was a generous arts benefactor and was one of the most painted figures in Australian art. In 1991 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This award was extended when Margaret was given the Companion of the Order for her philanthropy and services to the arts in 2006. Several universities have awarded Margret with honorary doctorates.
  
  In 2011, Margaret’s portrait by Ben Quilty won the Archibald Prize. Margaret Olley was completing work for a solo exhibition when she died at her home in Sydney.
  

• 

  Patrick, Katie

  

  School attended: Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School, Queensland 
  
  Katie Patrick is one of Australia’s leading environmental entrepreneurs and spokeswomen.
  
  She grew up on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsular, before moving to Brisbane to complete her schooling at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School. Katie studied Environmental and Civil Engineering and then worked as a sustainability consultant in the corporate sector. She served as Vice Chair of the Property Council’s Sustainability Committee, which led to a job project managing the first Green Star Building in Victoria. Katie became a founding member of the Green Building Council.
  
  Aged 25, Katie left the property industry to develop the first ‘green product database’, a sustainable directory named Green Pages, which was launched in 2006. Green Pages grew quickly to become Australia’s leading green tech-media company, employing over 15 people. She is now the CEO of the company.
  
  In 2007, Katie held Australia’s first eco-fashion parade with designers such as Akira Isogawa; she continues to be a proponent of eco-fashion. Katie featured as the first environmental CEO on the front cover of Business Review Weekly and has been nominated for many awards, including the Telstra Business Women Award. She is a regular media commentator on environmental business issues and a contributor to several publications, including The Age.
  
  Katie Patrick speaks at environmental conferences and recently launched the new Green Pages community web platform, where all content is created by members and environmental advocacy groups.
  

• 

  Pin Pin, Tan

  

  School attended: Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore
  
  Tan Pin Pin is a Singaporean documentary film director who creates films for cinema, programs for television and experimental video installations.
  
  She studied at Raffles Girls’ Secondary and completed her film studies at Northwestern University with a scholarship. One of Tan's earliest documentaries Singapore Ga Ga, was self distributed and had an unprecedented 7 week sold-out run. This documentary was a snapshot of Singaporean life expressed in sounds and it screened at film festivals around the world.
  
  Tan received an MA in Jurisprudence from Oxford University. In 2004 she was the Artist in Residence at the University of Technology, Sydney. Tan was a Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Institute of Policy Studies, and at NUS Asia Research Institute.
  
  Her works have won more than twenty awards and nominations, including two Asian Television Awards, awards at Cinema du Reel, and the Taiwan International Documentary Festival. In 2006, Tan won the award for Best Documentary at the US ASEAN Film and Photography Festival. She was also awarded Elle Magazine’s filmmaker of the year. Her works have screened at many international museums, film festivals and theatres, including Berlin, Pusan, and at New York's MOMA.
  
  Tan Pin Pin’s most recent film Snow City (2011) was commissioned for the Singapore Biennale. She fosters independent filmmaking in Singapore by serving on boards and by being involved in various community filmmaking projects and festivals.
  
  

• 

  Praeger, Professor Cheryl AM

  

  School attended: Brisbane Girls Grammar, Queensland
  
  Cheryl Praeger is a professor of mathematics at the University of Western Australia and is in the top 1% of highly cited mathematicians in the world. Her specialisations include group theory, algebraic graph theory and combinatorial designs.
  
  Cheryl attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School (1963 – 1965) and went on to study Science at the University of Queensland. She was awarded a scholarship to Oxford University where she studied group theory and received her doctorate in 1974. Cheryl returned to Australia and worked as a research fellow at ANU before moving to the University of Western Australia as a lecturer.  In 1983 Cheryl was appointed as the Professor of Mathematics.
  
  During her career, Cheryl has received numerous awards and accolades for her mathematics. She has been awarded two honorary doctorates, was made Western Australian Scientist of the Year (2009), and received a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999. Cheryl continues to promote the involvement of women in mathematics by encouraging girls in schools with lectures, workshops and conferences through the Family Maths Program Australia. She is married and has two sons.

• 

  Roe, Allison

  

  School attended: Westlake Girls High School, New Zealand
  
  Allison Roe is a health and fitness expert, and a former athlete.
  
  She attended Westlake Girls High School in Auckland and began competitive long-distance running. In 1981 Allison’s career peaked when she won the Boston and New York Marathons, setting course records at both. Later that year, she broke the world record at the New York City Marathon and set a 20k world record in Japan.
  
  Allison won numerous other running events, including the New Zealand cross-country championships. She diversified into other sports and won New Zealand championships in the triathlon and cycling team time trials. Later, Allison became a television sports presenter and an independent sports producer. She married and had two children.
  
  Throughout her career, Allison has been dedicated to helping New Zealanders with their health and wellbeing. She is involved in the Special K Women's Triathlon series and coordinates the Allison Roe Run to Heal, with annual events in Christchurch and Auckland raising funds for breast cancer causes.
  
  Allison has been voted New Zealand Sportsman of the Year, Best Female Runner in the World, and Best Female Athlete in the World. The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame inducted Allison in 2010.
  
  Currently, Allison has board appointments with The Health Sponsorship Council, North Shore Hospital Foundation and Waitemata District Health Board. She has set up a Trust in her name and owns a chemical-free sunscreen manufacturing business.
  

• 

  Rowe, Jennifer

  

  School attended: Abbotsleigh, New South Wales
  
  Jennifer Rowe is an award-winning author.
  
  Jennifer was educated at Abbotsleigh and later graduated from the University of Sydney with a Master of Arts in English Literature. She worked in publishing for 14 years, firstly as a book editor and then as a publisher at Angus & Robertson. During this time Jennifer began writing children’s books under the pseudonym Emily Rodda. Her first book was published in 1984.
  
  From 1984 to 1992, Jennifer was Editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly. Since 1994 she has been a full time writer, with over 50 books in her bibliography. Emily Rodda’s children’s books range from picture books to young adult novels. The Deltora Quest series has been a  staggering success; it has sold over 8 million copies world-wide, and is available in 30 countries. Jennifer continues to write murder mysteries for adults, many of which have been adapted for the small screen.
  
  Jennifer has won numerous awards and recognition for her versatile writing. In 1995, Emily Rodda won the Dromkeen Medal. She is the only person to have won the Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year for Younger Readers Award five times.
  
  Jennifer now divides her time between consultancies for book publishers and her own writing. She has four children.

• 

  Ryan, Judith

  

  School attended: Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, Victoria
  
  Judith Ryan is the Senior Curator of Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Victoria.
  
  She was educated at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School where her passion for studying humanities was nurtured by several inspiring teachers. Judith graduated with Honours in Fine Arts and English Literature from Melbourne University. She later studied education at Oxford University.
  
  In 1977 Judith began her art museum career at the National Gallery of Victoria. She worked as a Circulations Officer preparing exhibitions for tours and established relationships with Aboriginal artists and indigenous communities. She also spent many years as an Arts Editor, working on NGV publications and texts.
  
  In 1984 Judith began formally collecting Aboriginal art for the NGV. This collection is now recognised internationally and Judith is regarded as an expert in the field of Indigenous Art. She has curated over forty exhibitions of Aboriginal Art, including Power & Beauty at the Heide museum of Modern Art (2007).
  
  Much of Judith’s time is spent raising the profile of indigenous art and its artists. She is also an accomplished author and has published widely in the field. Judith speaks to art communities around the world. In May, 2011 she was a judge of the 28th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
  
  Currently, Judith Ryan has curatorial responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Oceanic Art and Pre-Columbian Art. Her special interest is Indigenous Australian Art of the twentieth century; its diversity, dynamism and transformation in the face of social change.
  

• 

  Sanderson, Professor Penelope

  

  School attended: Melbourne Girls Grammar School, Victoria
  
  Penelope Sanderson is an internationally recognised expert in the area of cognitive systems engineering. She is a Professor of Cognitive Engineering and Human Factors at the University of Queensland.
  
  Penelope was educated at Melbourne Girls Grammar. She received her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Cognitive Psychology from University of Western Australia, and then completed her MA and PhD in Engineering Psychology at the University of Toronto. From 1985–1996, Penelope worked at the University of Illinois and held grants from many organisations, including NASA, the US Air Force Research Laboratory, and the US Department of Energy.
  
  In 1997 Penelope returned to Australia to direct Swinburne University’s Computer-Human Interaction Laboratory. She also became Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois (1997-2006).
  
  Professor Sanderson’s primary research interests are in the area of cognitive systems engineering, human factors, and engineering psychology. She develops and test theories of human interaction with complex technical systems, and strives to develop principles that can guide the design of effective visual and auditory interfaces. An area of ongoing research is her development of innovative auditory displays for anaesthesia monitoring.
  
  Penelope has won numerous awards, including the US-based Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's (HFES) Distinguished International Colleague Award (2004). She has consulted in the USA and Canada, published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, and edited various journals. Penelope is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. In 2009 she attended Middlesex University on a Royal Academy of Engineering Distinguished Visiting Fellowship.
  
  Currently, Penelope Sanderson is Director of the ARC Key Centre for Human Factors at the University of Queensland. She also leads the Cognitive Engineering Research Group (CERG). CERG members study human-system integration in complex socio-technical systems, focusing on critical care medicine, air traffic control, power systems, and air defence. CERG is associated with three University of Queensland schools: the School of Information Technology Electrical Engineering, the School of Psychology, and the School of Medicine.
  

• 

  Savage, Catherine

  

  School attended: Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, New Zealand

  
  Catherine Savage is Chairman of the Management Board of Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and a school Laureate.
  
  She studied Commerce and Administration at Victoria University in Wellington and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Catherine’s career has taken her from an accounting firm, to the National Gas Corporation and finally to AMP Capital Investors (New Zealand) Limited. In 2000 Catherine was made Managing Director; AMP’s youngest and only female country manager. In this position she had the responsibility for setting the company’s strategic direction with its Board.
  
  In 2007 Catherine left AMP to pursue a range of private equity interests both in New Zealand and offshore. She is currently Managing Director of CMS Capital Limited, and she serves on many other boards. Catherine was appointed to the board of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation in November 2009. She is a member of the New Zealand Institute’s Think Tank, the Supporters’ Council of Enterprise New Zealand, and the Economic Committee of the Wellington Regional Strategy Committee. Catherine Savage is married with three children.
  
  Catherine's reflection on her experience at Samuel Marsden Collegiate:
  
  When we were at secondary school, we looked ahead to what we could accomplish in both our working life (and life outside work), without a lot of in-depth thought about the value that attending a school the caliber of Marsden gave us. Instead it is only in hindsight that we truly see and can appreciate the real benefit that we have gained from being part of such an environment.
  
  Marsden gave me not only a world class education, but also the tools, both academic and non academic, that helped build my confidence and my belief in myself, to succeed in work and life. I have no doubt that what I have achieved and will achieve going forward, is in a large part due to being part of such a nurturing and positively focused environment that Marsden represents.
  

• 

  Scott, Sophie

  

  School attended: Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart, New South Wales 
  
  Sophie Scott is the national medical reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  
  She was educated at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart and then completed a Bachelor of Arts at The University of Sydney. Sophie began her career as a journalist in the United States; she worked in several positions as a reporter, correspondent, television and radio producer.
  
  In 1998, Sophie joined the ABC as a television newsreader in Tasmania. She won a research grant from the Australian Medical Writers Association in 2002. Gradually Sophie moved into the specialised area of medical reporting and became known for her sensitive and clear reporting style. Her stories now appear on the ABC’s radio and television news bulletins, Lateline, Stateline and The 7.30 Report. She also presents a weekly health show for ABC online called Healthwatch.
  
  Sophie has won numerous awards for her work, including an Australian Museum Eureka Award for Medical Reporting (2004), a Thank You Day Research Australia Award for services to the media and for highlighting the importance of research (2005), and a Luminous Award for cancer reporting (2008). She is the Vice President of the Australian Medical Writers Association and is on the board of the Australian Medical Association Charitable Foundation NSW.
  
  Sophie Scott has written two books; the second titled Roadtesting Happiness was published in 2010. She has two sons and also works as a public speaker and an MC.
  

• 

  Shaw, Marie

  

  School attended: Loreto College, South Australia
  
  Marie Shaw is a barrister who has served as a District Court Judge in South Australia and as Chief Counsel of the South Australian Legal Services Commission.
  
  Marie boarded and studied at Loreto College, Marryatville. She won an American Field Services Scholarship and lived in Massachusetts for a year before returning to Australia to study law at the University of Adelaide. Marie completed her articles year with Frank Moran QC and continued to work at his firm as a criminal defence lawyer for the next ten years. She developed a strong commitment to equality, human rights and fair treatment in her early years as a lawyer.
  
  As a member of the Independent Bar, Marie’s practice involved acting for indigenous people from the northern lands of South Australia, Darwin and Alice Springs. She was appointed a QC in 1996. The Rann Government appointed Marie a Judge of the District Court Judge of South Australia in 2005. As a judge she presided over a number of high-profile cases, including Barnes v Barnes in the High Court on will litigation, and Pope v DR Pope Nominees Pty Ltd, on discretionary trusts. From 2004 until 2010 Judge Shaw was Chief Counsel of the SA Legal Services Commission.
  
  Marie Shaw retired from the District Court in 2010 and resumed practice as a barrister. She is married and has three adult children.
  

• 

  Steane, Dr Dorothy

  

  School attended: Ogilvie High School, Tasmania
  
  Dorothy Steane attended Ogilvie High School and was Dux in 1981. In 1990, she was engaged in research at the University of Tasmania into genetics of Eucalyptus trees. It was her high academic achievements coupled with a fine sporting record, which led to her being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1991. Dorothy is currently a lecturer and academic researcher at the University of Tasmania.
  
  Dorothy's reflection on her experience at Ogilvie High School
  
  Coming from a family dominated by boys (my elder sister had left home by the time I was in grade 2 and my mother passed away in my last year of primary school) Ogilvie High School was a haven from the antics and torments of my older teenaged brothers. I made supportive friendships that have lasted the test of time.
  
  At Ogilvie I was able to focus on core subjects without any hormone-induced distractions; I didn’t feel the need to 'act dumb' in order to be popular with the boys (although I did get a certain degree of pleasure out of doing this at college – in grades 11 and 12 - and then trouncing the boys in our exams!). Ogilvie gave me a broad education with excellent, inspiring teachers in the subjects that I later pursued for my matriculation. It took me a long time to decide whether to choose a career in languages or a career in science, but I eventually chose the latter with the view that, although it is a male-dominated field, if you are good enough you will succeed. It is a fact of life that it is difficult for women to get ahead in male-dominated careers, but implicit in the education at Ogilvie High School was the knowledge that women are as capable as men – in fact, to get ahead we need to be more capable - and that we should not tolerate discrimination in any way, shape or form.

• 

  Stewart, Jan

  

  School attended: St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, Western Australia
  
  Jan Stewart is the Chief Executive Officer of Lotterywest.
  
  She graduated from St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School in 1965 and studied social work at the University of Western Australia. From 1978 to 1985 she was the Chief Social Worker at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and started her own family at the end of this period.
  
  Her career in the lottery industry began in 1987, when Jan was offered a consultancy position to the Board of the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia. This job expanded and in 1990 she became the first Director of Community Funding. In this role Jan developed a range of innovative grant programs in the community service and philanthropic sector.
  
  In 1992, Jan was appointed as CEO of Lotterywest. She was elected to the inaugural position of President of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association (1999) and in the same year, appointed to the Executive Committee of the World Lottery Association. Within the World Lottery Association, Jan was elected Vice President (2005) and Senior Vice President (2007).
  
  The University of Western Australia awarded Jan a Chancellor’s Medal (2004) for her services to the university, particularly for her support to the University’s Perth International Arts Festival. She was also awarded a Public Service Medal in the 2009 Australia Day Honours ceremony.
  
  Jan Stewart has held office in many community organisations including as Chairman of the Lady Gowrie Child Care Centre, and 10 years as a member of the Board of West College of TAFE. She is a member of the Governing Council of Hale School, and is the Western Australian representative on the national Save the Children Fund board. Jan has been a member of the University of Western Australia’s Faculty of Arts Advisory Board since May 2009.
  

• 

  Sutherland, Dame Joan OM AC DBE (1926-2010)

  

  School attended: St Catherine’s School, New South Wales
  
  Joan Sutherland was born in Sydney and attended St Catherine’s School. In 1947, she made her singing debut as Dido in a concert of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in Sydney. She was later educated at the Royal College of Music in London, and in 1952 Joan Sutherland was accepted into the company of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Her debut company performance as First Lady was in Die Zauberflote in the same year.
  
  Joan Sutherland’s career was influenced by her partnership with conductor and mentor Richard Bonynge, whom she later married. Bonynge was convinced that Sutherland should develop her higher range and sing in the coloratura repertoire. This training paved the way for her lead role in the famous production of Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959. Joan Sutherland’s international career was launched when she sang in a series of debuts at the world’s leading opera houses. Her magnificent operatic performance and reputation established her as the leading coloratura of the 20th Century. After her interpretation of the title role in a performance of Alcina, she was called La Stupenda (The Stupendous One) by an opera audience at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, in 1960. The title of La Stupenda was reported in international newspapers and this moniker stayed with Sutherland throughout her career. She recorded an album The Art of the Prima Donna, which won the Grammy Award for the Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist in 1962.
  
  Joan Sutherland’s repertoire of roles grew throughout her distinguished career. As well as performing live, she recorded many songs and operas which can still be heard today. From 1974 she sang regularly with the Australian Opera. In 1961, Joan Sutherland was named Australian of the Year and also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1978, in recognition of her services to the performing arts. The Queen bestowed Dame Joan with the Order of Merit in 1991. She has received honorary degrees from universities in Australia and overseas. Many of Dame Joan’s magnificent performances were at the Sydney Opera House, including her final Australian performance in 1990. She sang a duet with Luciano Pavarotti in her final Covent Garden concert, a performance on New Year’s Eve in 1990.
  
  Dame Joan published her autobiography A Prima Donna’s Progress (1997), and judged many singing competitions. Dame Joan Sutherland died on the 10th October, 2010. She is survived by her son and his family.

• 

  Swan, Vanessa

  

  School attended: Annesley College, South Australia
  
  Vanessa Swan works to reduce violence against women and their children.
  
  Vanessa was educated at Annesley College and then studied social work. She worked at the Royal Adelaide Hospital before moving to England to continue her career. After returning to Adelaide, Vanessa was employed at the Dale Street Women’s Centre; it was this placement that fostered her interest in helping victims of sex crimes.
  
  From 2001-2010 Vanessa was the Director of the Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual Assault Service. She also served as the Chairperson of the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence (2008-2009). Vanessa has been a member of the Parole Board of South Australia since 2007.
  
  In 2009 the Prime Minister announced the formation of the Violence Against Women Advisory Group and Vanessa was asked to be a member of the group. She was awarded a Public Service Medal in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours roll for her services to victims of sexual assault and for her policy development.
  
  Vanessa Swan is currently the Director of the South Australian Office for Women, and the Chair of the Attorney General’s Victims of Crime Ministerial Advisory Board.
  
  
  

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  Warner, Professor Lesley

  

  School attended: Waitaki Girls’ High School, New Zealand
  
  Professor Lesley Warner is a Parasitologist.
  
  She was educated at Waitaki Girls’ High School in Oamaru and studied Zoology at the University of Otago. After completing her Masters in Science, Lesley moved to London and worked in a pathology laboratory. Her family then migrated to Adelaide where Lesley investigated the lifecycle of nematodes in the Kangaroo Island wallaby. This project was the basis of her doctoral thesis and began Lesley’s journey in parasitology. Parasitologists explore the interactions and interrelationships between the host-parasite dynamic.
  
  Lesley has two children and faced many barriers and prejudices as a woman when she was studying science at the tertiary level. She was instrumental in obtaining funding and support for the program Women into Science and Technology (WIST), and later became the Director of WIST.
  
  From 1985-1994 Lesley was the Head of the Department of Biology at Central Queensland University (CQU). She became Dean of the School of Science (1988-1990). In 1996 Lesley was made President of the Australian Society for Parasitology. She continued to hold senior academic positions at CQU, becoming Professor of Zoology from 2002-2006.
  
  Lesley Walker is now an Emeritus Professor, and an Honorary Research Scientist at the South Australian Museum. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Society for Parasitology.
  
  

• 

  Watkins, Alison

  

  School attended: St Michael’s Collegiate School, Tasmania 
  
  Alison Watkins is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GrainCorp.
  
  Alison boarded at St Michael’s Collegiate and later studied Commerce at the University of Tasmania. She started her career as a chartered accountant and then spent ten years at the international strategy firm McKinsey & Company. In 1996 she became a partner and was in this position for three years before moving to the ANZ Banking Group.
  
  Between 1999 and 2002 Alison held several senior roles at ANZ Banking Group Limited. These included: Group General Manager, Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions, where she worked closely with the CEO and Board to develop ANZ's strategy; and Managing Director, Regional Banking, where she was responsible for the bank’s regional and rural customers in Australia and New Zealand.

  
  From 2007, Alison held a number of Directorships including: CEO of Berri Limited (2002-2005), Director of Just Group Limited (2004-2008), Chairman of Mrs Crocket’s Kitchen (2006-2007), Director of Woolworths Limited (2007-2010), CEO of the Bennelong Group (2008-2010) and Director of the Nature Conservancy Australian Advisory Board (2007-2011).

  
  Alison has also been involved in a range of community boards, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the World Swimming Championships. She is a former Victorian President and National Board Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  
  Alison has long had an association with agriculture. She was raised on a farm in Tasmania, and held several leadership roles in the food industry over the past decade. She and her husband operate a cropping and cattle property in Victoria's Western District, they have four children.

  
  Alison's reflection on her experience at St Michael’s Collegiate
  
  ‘I was given some wonderful leadership opportunities, and developed independence and resilience. I can point to three or four teachers who played a formative role in helping me achieve academically, and become more creative and confident in putting my views forward.
  
  I have daughters at two wonderful girls’ schools in Victoria, Lauriston and St Catherine’s, and am so impressed with the opportunities that girls in schools like these have today, including a much stronger focus on the opportunities after school for women. My advice is, at school, embrace the opportunities you have, take risks and just generally have a go. You are in such a supportive environment, compared with what life after school can be like, and the confidence you can build at school will stand you in great stead’.
  

• 

  Wright, Diane

  

  School attended: Shelford Girls’ Grammar
  
  Diane Wright is a Counsellor, Family Therapist, and the Founder of Anam Cara House.
  
  Diane studied at Shelford Girls’ Grammar and later completed her Bachelor of Arts. She initially taught religious education in schools before studying Counselling. Diane was a Host Parent for Interchange Respite Care (1989-1998), and it was during this time that she identified the need for specialised care respite centres. 
  
  From 2002, Diane worked tirelessly to establish a community residential respite facility in Geelong. She rallied the Geelong community to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to convert the St Mary’s Presbytery into a hospice. Diane’s vision, persistence and lobbying saw Anam Cara House opened in 2007. The hospice offers support and respite care to those who are affected by life limiting illness, including support services for carers and their families. Diane is the Founder, Director and President.
  
  For over 20 years Diane has worked in palliative care and with people with disabilities throughout rural Victoria. She completed her Masters in Counselling while working in the Colac and Geelong communities as a counsellor, family therapist and civil celebrant.
  
  Diane Wright continues her counselling work and actively serves on many committees and boards. She is married and has children and grandchildren. In 2011 Diane opened the second Anam Cara House in Colac, it caters for people who are at the end stage of their lives. Diane has been honoured on the QV Women’s Centre Shilling Wall, and in 2008 she was given an Outstanding Woman Achievement Award by the Zonta Club for women’s advancement.
  
  
  

• 

  Young, Susan

  

  School attended: Mitcham Girls’ High School, South Australia 
  
  Susan Young is the Executive Dean of Victoria University College.
  
  She was educated at Walford Anglican School for Girls and at Mitcham Girls’ High School. Susan trained and practised as a high school teacher before specialising in adult and further education. She developed a Graduate Certificate in Training – Action Learning, which was used by many organisations across Australia.
  
  After studying Educational Management, Susan became the National Director for the Re-Framing the Future Project (1997-2004). This project was an initiative of the Australian Government and saw the implementation of a national training system. Susan co-authored a variety of publications as part of her directorship role.
  
  From 2004-2007, Susan was a Director in the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology. Her career has been dedicated to helping individuals continue their lifelong learning. In 2007 Susan became the inaugural Executive Dean at VUC.
  

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